ML19323B645

From kanterella
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Submits Proposal for Removal of Kr-85 from Reactor Containment Bldg.Confirms Cryogenic Separation Process Disclosed in 800310 & 21 Meetings.Related Documentation & Tl Gaillard Encl
ML19323B645
Person / Time
Site: Crane Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 04/09/1980
From: Lytton M
MITRE CORP.
To: Vollmer R
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML19323B642 List:
References
RTR-NUREG-0662, RTR-NUREG-662 W85-049, W85-49, NUDOCS 8005140017
Download: ML19323B645 (9)
v • d • e


Text

{{#Wiki_filter:- Ef45U The MITRE Cttp ratien 8005140017 Metrek Division April 9, 1980 W85-049 Richard H. Vollmer, Director Division of Engineering Nuclear Reactor Regulation Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bethesda Office, Room 542 Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Vollmer:

Confirming my process disclosure to you in our meeting of March 21st and my prior meeting on March 10th with Messrs. Sydney Miner, Mark Greenberg and Jerrold Carter of your staff, I have developed a cryogenic separation process for the removal of radioactive Krypton 85 from the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor containment building. The process will reduce the estimated 57,000 curies radiation content to l a total of 5 curies or 2.5 microcuries per SCF vent air. j The engineering and design details of my process disclosure are shown in: e Figure 1: " Proposed Process Schematic Diagram for Krypton 85 Removal..." e Table I: " Basic Process Scheme, Derivation of Kr85 Reduction Equation and Calculation of TMI Containment Building Reduction" l l e Figure 2: " Reduction of Krypton 85 Curies Radiation..." j l The basic process scheme is to link a cryogenic air separation l plant to the containment building radioactive atmosphere in a closed I recycle. The cryogenic plant will separate the atmosphere into its 5 fraction. constituents: oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and enriched Kr + Kr All the constituents, except for this enriched fraction, will be re-cycled to the containment building. The Kr + Kr85 fraction will be filled into shielded metal gas cylinders, and the 57,000 curies re-l moved for burial in a remote location. Depending on removal efficiency, the clean-up will require 3.6 to 16.2 days of continuous operation. The cryogenic separation technology has been known for more than 40 years (see M. Ruhecan, "The Separation of Gases," 2nd Ed., Oxford Univ. Press, 1949, p. 228-236). The proprietary patentable features l of my process are (1) use of a normal krypton fresh make-up feed to enable the delicate, complex vapor-liquid equilibria to function at 1820 Dolley Madison Boulevard. Mc!.ean. Virgmia 22102 Telephone (703) 827-6000

  • Telex 89-9118

Richard H. Vollmer April 9, 1980 Page Two low krypton solute concentrations in tt e distillation columns and 85 to sweep out the Kr and (2) a process combination of air separation plant, krypton distillation coln=n, and molecular sieve filter bed to renove the radioactive Krypton 85. A 50 Tons / Day oxygen air separation plant will be required. The entire installation, including modifications to add a krypton dis-tillation column, molecular sieve filter bed, supplementary cryogenic refrigeration, and a centrifugal compressor, will cost between $10 to $20 Million. A used air separation plant can be obtained on short notice from Union Carbide (Linde Div.) or Air Products. The fresh make-up gas feed (about 900 liters) can be readily obtained for about $0.70 per liter from three U.S. suppliers: Union Carbide (Linde Div.), Air Products, and AIRCO. Other equipment and installation materials can be purchased new or used from a variety of suppliers. The project i schedule would require 11 months: procurement, fabrication modifications and installation - 9 months; start-up, debugging and optimization - 1 month; and removal of the Kr85 from the building - 1 month. My credentials for the validity of the proposed process and project engineering details are as follows: e Employed 1955-1969 with AIRCO, Inc., second largest cryogenic air separation plant gases manufacturer in U.S. Engaged in process engineering, design, project engineering, construction and capital investment planning for sixteen plants. Developed AIRCO engineering and design for proposed e Krypton 85 removal from U.S.S. Savannah nuclear reactor, and installation of krypton recovery units in air separation plants. The MITRE Corporation would be pleased to offer a proposal to NRC for consulting services to carry out the proposed process and project engineering / management details. We look forward to the opportunity to meet with Mr. Harold R. Denton, Director of NRC Nuclear Reactor Regulation, to discuss our proposal which you indicated that you will try to arrange. Should you want additional information or clarification, please telephone me at (703) 827-7198. Sincerely, >s Milton Lytton Enclosures ML:njo

1 NOTES: CRYOGENIC SEPARI. TION PLAPit COID BOX =

1. Typteel Cryrginic Air Srparation Pltat

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ with Krypton Enrichment Distillation l Column to Reduce by Continuous Recycle the Containment Building Atomisphere Air RECYCLE DESORB NITROCEN WITN OXYCEN & ARCON CASES 0 85 57,000 Curles Kr to 5 Curtes or i n 2.5 Micro-Curies /SCF Vent Air.

  • 8 lh
2. Operation Details Can Be Readily Modified For Optimization.

RECYCI E OXYCEN & ARCON CASES I"

3. Separation Plant Krypton Removal Cycle e snq Efficiency Variable From 20 % to 90 %,

According To Design. Require 16.2 to RECYCLE ( 3.6 Days Accordingly For Reduction. JITROGEN GAS

4. Supplementary Cycle Nitrogen Refrig.

System May Be Required To Balance Loads.t l d ' 4000 SCFM RECYCLE SEPARATED GASES

  • n l

DFPLETED IN Kr85 AND KRYP10N 'g a t 6 t ~ M 20.000 SCFM RECYCLE A1NOS. AIR n x x, -A 9 8 DESORB NITROGEN ~ Mh .'.~~ ~_E i~.~. (( ~~ CAS g.n X i ti RECYCLE - ~ ~ ' ~ - 12 l N llRYLR l II g DESORB ~!~ff* I sa N AIR -~ / N HOISTU L ~ - ~ "~ 7 ', "Z 15 M .3_.. l e A 7 7 a 4 o 2 ) 4 5 = T ll 37 h 18 J 2 i u 3 I ' as mm 4000 SCFM ATMOS. AIR 7 10 'un TO CRYOGENIC SEPARATI IN il ENRICHED 'I FILLING BANK. HS 8 KRYPTON 85 PURCHASED CYLINDERS KRYPTON & Kr 3 NORMAL Alh0S KRYPTON FRACTION 10 REMOTE j BURI AL. CAS FEED MAKE-UP

1. 1NI Nuclear Reactor Containment Building; 2,000,000 Cu.Ft.;

5 7,000 Curtes Krypton 85. FICURE I

2. Existing Ventitating Air Blowers (2).

Each 24,000 SCFM Air Flow. r

3. Purchased Normal Atmospheric Krypton Feed Make-Up From Cas Cylinder. Total Required: 887 Liters.

PROPOSFD

4. Centrifugal Gas Compressor, 4000 SCFM at 85 PSIA Delivery.

PROCESS SCHENATIC DIACRAM

5. Air Motsture Dryer, Silica or Alumina Bed, 40 0F, Dual Swing Vessels - Adsorb / Desorb.

2 and H O by Cool-Down About -250 'F. FOR

6. Cryogenic Multi-Passage Reversing Exchangers; Remove CO 2
7. Joule-Thomson Expansion Yalve to Cool-Down Air to about -280 "F to Form Liquid / Vapor Mfx.

ERYP111N 85 REMOVAL 8,9. Double Disti!!ation Columns

8. Nitrogen Section,
9. Oxygen Section FROM NUCIIAR REACTOR
10. Molecular Steve Filter for Hydrocarbon Impurities.

illation Column - Bottoms: Kr85, Kr. Xe, Ar, 02-85)Disg5)VaporizertoCasify ypton h n (incluJing Kr 1HREE MII.E ISLAND PENNA.

13. Enriched Krypton Fraction (including Kr
14. Linde Molecular Steve Filter, Dual Swing Vessels, Operate about -295 oF.

Adsorb 02 and Ar.

15. Nitrogen Warm Cas Desorb Hester for Molecular Steve Bed Desorption of 02 and Ar.

CONFIDElrTIAL MILTON LYTTON

16. Desorb Can Blower.

f

17. Enriched Krypton Mixture (including Kr85, Kr Xe) Compressor For Filling Cas Cy!!nders.

PROPRIETARY MITRE CORP.

18. Shielded Metal Krypton Mixture Cas Cylinder Filling Bank. Filled Cylinders Removed To Disposal.

DISCLOSURg MARCH 24, 1980 4

f W Tha MITRE C rporctitu March 24, 1980 l TABLE I i BASIC PROCESS SCHEFE DERIVATION OF Kr85 REDUCTION EQUATION, AND CALCULATION OF TMI CONTAINMENT BUILDING REDUCTION l 5 GIVEN: Kr = 57,000 curies Volume of TMI nuclear reactor containment building - 2,000,000 C.F. Normal Kr in atmos. air = 1.0 ppm = 1.0SCF/1,000,000 SCF air TMI containment bldg. air blowers = 24,000 SCFM (two each) 85 OBJECTIVE: Reduce total Kr within building to 5 curies, or 2.5 microcuries/SCF vent air 1. BASIC PROCESS SCHEFE The cryogenic plant and the containment building are in a closed recycle with only one stream being discharged, namely, an enriched i concentrated krypton 85. It is necessary to maintain an inventory of normal krypton in the system of containment building atmosphere f volume and the cryogenic plant in order to maintain a proper vapor-liquid equilibria in the cryogenic fractionation columns. Therefore, as normal krypton and krypton 85 are depleted in closed system re-cycle, purchased fresh normal krypton is fed into the recycle system to maintain the overall krypton inventory at 1.0 ppm or higher. The Kr85 is depleted continuously during the recycle and is replaced by krypton. This is the unique patent-sought feature of the process design. The closed recycle system returns the separated oxygen-I nitrogen-argon streams from the cryogenic fractionation plant to the containment building atmosphere. The only change in the overall total system is the continuous depletion of krypton 85. Therefore, the derived equation below represents this significant change in the total system. The enriched krypton 85 stream is further concentrated by gas passage through molecular sieve filter beds at cryogenic low tempera-ture which effectively separate the krypton 85 from the oxygen and I argon (which are in very much larger amounts). The separation is j based on the sieve physical adsorption of the smaller molecules: oxygen - 3.46 Angstroms and argon - 3.40 Angstroms. The concentrated stream consists of about 93 percent Kr and Kr 85 and the remainder is xenon; nitrogen is extremely low. The Kr85 rich gas is filled into radiation shielded metal gas cylinders and removed for disposal. See Process Diagram, Figure 1, for illustration. l 1

2. REDUCTION EQUATION DERIVATION 85 A. Conversion of Curies Kr to Grams, Liters and SCF 5 85 3.578 x 10 Kr Half Life = 10.72 yr. curies / gram 85 Atomic Mass = 85 = 10.72 x 85 Kr l l = 392.7 curies /g l 8 85 i 85 Kr - 22.414 liters /g-mol l 8~* 1 Kr85 = 0.2637 liters /g l = 1489 curies / liter 85 57 O Kr Bldg. Content = 3 8 cr g 57,000 curies

      1. 8 l

" 1489 curies /1 38.28 liters " 28.316 liters /CF = 1.352 SCF B. Equation for Reduction of Kr Let: k = Kr b1dg. content at time t = 0, = 1.352 SCF 8 k = Kr 5 bldg. content at any time t t = Time, minutes 8 = Cryogenic Plant Kr 5 recovery efficiency R A = Bldg. sweep air flow, SCFM to Cryogenic Plant V = Air volume of Containment Building Y = Kr85 removal coefficient Assume: R = 0.9, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 A = 4000 SCFM (1/6 of 24,000 SCFM Air Blower) V = 2,000,000 C.F. = 2,000,000 SCF At time t a o, k = ko 85 Kr Bldg. content at time t = k = k, - Tk .t gg g where: 85 A Kr Removal Coefficient, Y=Rxy Differentiate: h = - Yk = - Yd:: Integrate: In kt=0"-T*+ C = In k at t = 0 0 2

In k - in k, = - Yt g k in *- - - Y t O -YC =e O = k,e" ' k g Now, given objective is residual Kr85 = 5 curies in Containment Building, or 5 microcuries/SCF 85 5 = 1.186 x 10 ' SCF ~ Residual Kr =k = g 28.316 Assume: One 24,000 SCD1 building blower in recycle operation. 4,000 SCni side-stream is taken as feed to Cryogenic Plant. 2,0b0 Y=Rx .0 x 10 R = 00 k = 1.352 e (2.0 x 10 Rt) g But 85 ~4 Residual Kr =k = 1.186 x 10 g -3 e (2.0 x 10 Rt),1.186 x 10 = 0.8772 x 10 ' ~ -3 ~4 - 2.0 x 10 Rt = In 0.8772 x 10 in 0.8772 x t=fx - 2.0 x 10 , 1_ x - 9.3416 -3 - 2.0 x 10 Time to Complete Reduction 71 of Kr85 to 5 Curies

t

3 .J

I 85 3. CALCULATION OF Kr REDUCTION Assume: Recovery Efficiencies: 0.9 down to 0.2 R MIN. DAYS l 0.9 5190 '3.60 0.8 5839 4.05 0.7 6673 4.63 0.6 7785 5.41 0.5 9342 6.49 0.4 11677 8.11 0.3 15570 10.81 0.2 23355 16.22 4 CALCULATION OF PURCHASED NORMAL KRYPTON FEED MAKE-UP i Note: It is necessary to maintain an inventory of normal krypton in the system of containment building atmosphere volume and the cryogenic plant in order to maintain proper vapor-liquid equilibria in the cryogenic distillation columns. Therefore, as normal krypton and Krypton 85 are depleted in closed system 2 recycle, purchased fresh normal krypton is fed into the re-cycle system to maintain the overall krypton inventory at 1.0 ppm or higher. Normal Krypton in Atmosphere = 1.0 ppm = 1.0 SCF/1,000,000 SCF Air In Containment Bldg.: Normal Kr = 2.000 SCF Kr85 = 1.352 Total = 3.352 In one - 4000 SCFM sweep cycle: 8 Removal of Kr + Kr 5 - R x 3.352 SCF x 00 SCF at R = 0.9: Krypton Make-Up = 0.9 x 3.352 x x 5190 Min. 2,0 00 = 31.314 SCF = 887 Liters at R = 0.2 Krypton Make-Up = 0.2 x 3.352 x x 23,355 Min. 2,00 00 - 31.314 SCF = 887 Liters Therefore, Total Fresh Normal Krypton Make-Up is a Constant. 4 k

4 O TIE = M11CTES MO.000 7000

  1. 000 600 8000 10000 12000 u g =-

,0 ---y.___ __ g - _g e g g g -... _._ 7:

y.,

s } g....-

n-
- -- L

..:=-. _ 1L ^L'._

r =- L T-- _r.:

'; NE:~1 1E-4 E =- * - ~ # r-~ ^ ='- 4 2 ; " ; = 3 T - ~~ I-iM i= =--' i l .. : : = _ r _ = & : ? = :. - = -- - =i :._ :- --- w_._ :- l =: -- -.,. --- a u-M

_: - _ q _ - - = _. _ n : : =. ~ - - -,. =_m2..__ _;

g -._ _. s :... l

  • t =13 2 b-- =- i.=

4- -. 7in1 L 1 t := h-t --s V==E i =-d-%=.=k i M=======4 ,.'i...___i.-_ w.. s e : a a= .._..__.s._-.:=q----q-s.r===r_- -s g, - %- -M d==-di== :- : --Ei45= ~= 55=E5 tic.--- _ '_~'. id :f _. __.1= '_T ~4==~-- it G ... _ = _ _ =- __a-- g

3. -

=._----_:_=_-_. _ _ _ _ _.- -.. - = = - = = _. - --.n--. y\\_-- .rg__.. _ - _ _... _, _ =\\ m, 2 -J- --- \\ i-MM4- ' ~IIDCCT10tMs4anMM-c4R2Es.-ad&MM _. _ _. _ _ q._ _ __ p eaW3i+d w % '9.sw.i.A.w.wn 6 AE~W*M' of ghMMIM*Md enMNN 3 ! ~ ~ ~,_i i ""~'T 3 13,00d 1 T 3 .,i 1 i\\... --EM m 4 h p.ceA.i -w-.'--.-- g,, I = 't V4--! Uli E#3 4 2154 hM= i==C # -i =ii- --t - - ~ -. = ~ ~ _W Et t. . = - - r,_u 2: 7 d t..\\. . _. _.__._.s_:._. _._a___...___-.a=_-=.__-._--.__._- N-F".*. -.\\ IiE 5 -*__'___b-=..,4 __~_ _ b- _ _ T ~ T~22 6 g. m e. 5. - - - - - --+ ----T------

- wW 88 ~~.

---w '.F = ~__ 2 - -' V G --- A =-...--'-L-

~2 & '- i i -

-s +L-----

==; i -. 4= - > - ~ ^ m - t '=. 3-m. -r x ' r _-- t -,, - _ - - ; y -_; --- -' yyyy yy gg-yy3 g = * ---Mi-3'""i \\== ' -- i E^E=; "-~ T~+d4Q%W-$-M-i;Mi W P94=iV;- iniiLia=-~& ; J:===E-;aM ; MM-kJs -; h==d 5 ,t e _.= -=.9 .-. -_ y = -... _ _n, 4 m._-- a..=W- - - ----_- w.n,s w __ m _ _ i f2 __ \\ "W + -1 =. s r x Z

. g i

1 1 y 4 Twmwrm i g -- t i k P""' Emc&acs j p* 1,00n '\\ M C" i j 9 _r---i-r !- i.: [ M ' + 5. r t--. 3 :_ :;- i m _ JI =^= -E_I- } Ij-- : 5 p:-.g j..q g f_-- .-.g- .y rs , w =_ i +=q a w =-_=~,=-: q-._. u =;=5t==----p=. m ____=t - - - - -^- - {* ,pe 7 i --' - i== =k_9 F;;= -2. ~ 7 T - \\- = h - ;=G = - -..-._. ;

_. _- - -_ _; _- 7;. ;

_ a y .r t- __g 5._. g. h 6. - -. -. - _ - p i i g________. C_m _ _ _ _ _ _- % N '[2' [i {- I il : !.5- --' - f-I-T I_' :r.51-L 3 [ _= -.-i i_~5 ; - ;_7I'- p Q h. 4 ~ -~ El~ l - l * ~ " '.- -~.} f._ ~ _. _ y. -3 *-{_^ _ _ __qj'?.-~. -.-.,'_'i~~.-_-g - y, -.._ ;_ j g )-E k N-~ 'i =I='-M'-~~' k [8'E-5 ~-hi f ! ____ ~ [ f. (_ _- 1'n-d, ~ _ ' ' " _ ~ -E'N-NN ^' q___..=_._'3=_=.=_=_:__==_... y_=_ r - _ - - - _

- = - - _ - - - - -__

g:=y_ _-__. 3 2. 's u I \\ l - 1 1 ] 1 I i 1 1 1 1 + i 1 i + 1 100 1 1 \\t i i e i i i y i i ~, * = - = =, - :- m q +%=.as s.=-gw-.i .=,q _ y _ = g- =_ - _ =-_,- p e.. - N-w =<=- : = = --2== W=i :-.1:=+= =a= Ei-;s-- = at _+= + =- 3=-==--===;= =- 1,, ^^=?=+ $ : D. ':'.k;;\\=$ ^ _ ^~-N.='55~~~ _N'===-i_,-_'=' E----

rE^"_*'_'^h=

E

==== =) m= e _. ---- =r+\\== r 6. ___g_._.. 3,,_- g_ E:- _R EW-N.-.~ '.li = l _U LT =E i ='=----L-1 -i i = UM(Elfri5 :] - =- -l 1_=_i =": 4-' 1 -

  • - p = - {:a = = -

-: = : :==- a i . mp.: -_:, _3:_:. __a { ' ' ~.

^:. \\.:-._.==.=:=_--.------

Ai~'

- - - - - ^ - _ ' g=_*. ^ ' - ~ 1 ; u= l p__===_=_-._;..____=m====_.=._==__=.=-:n=_-_.___-___- _- _-- y.=__ __- - _- _ _____:=_-_- 3,

..___7---

a s .O. E i 1 . s I 1 I \\ e f d I I i \\ I I 1. I \\. I I s!,.m i i i x i i ,a-ya==C=, Ennhe =i T .F=W-=w- =- anta;=s+E-uman= m inna. _ _ __a . mNg, ~~ ; N bl - =--- N 7 5Ii='-'= I- _5'- \\ -f--~-~---tr ^ w i'rW =~~_r"-2 -i t=5 2 _" N -- 4_r---. ~. _ - i ^ 7, l'= = Ma=- MM-'- -- =t"_ M - ~ _. - x --- - - - _ -- .m ---u--._--- .2=-MML. 4 _-__:=== = :- ; - - - - -_-- - - 6_ __--.--t_-.._- _. _ _ _ _ _ - - - __ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - -.._____*4_. i --Iransmrg n - s me.; 5.. 'rM : r'5 't J-.=- _?5b -E.F SI--E-#- n- :4=+.- r 3 2-f= i q s -'r- =-- :---

= - -= * ~ - 5: l-]I'=sE =- EE= - s J

4 - EI2-N NI N_-S-55Y5@.'~---?%_T3MHz-W O_r.ty'- T_ ?_.".N._j- @j-i) '4 l NE=_$Y?.Y! 5 YY?N EN$ ~ _ - -~ ; II t= _ _ .x _ m_n 3.. _ _.+-_ _,.-.___ m ._:- M K _. qge - ) i 2.. e i b e

p pa.- j$; THEODORE :.EE G AILLARD, JR. h1dh 3908 PARM LANE PLACE DALLAS. TEXAS 78220 March 28, 1980 Chief Engineer, Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station. Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania

Dear Sire:

Problee How to get slightly radioactive gas out of the powerplant's eentainment bisilding, without venting diree-tly into the ntnosphere and causing undue concern by a worried populace. Posnible solution worth consideration: llave you considered obtaining a high-altitude weather / atmospheric soundin-balloon? The gae vent opening for the balloon could be sealed around the power plcnt's vent opening and the a:as force-vented into the definted balloon. then the gas hes 'ooen exhausted from the build-ing and/or the balloon filled, the balloon can be tied off or analed at the throat, and the halloon cont &inienc the has can then bs transported by a variety of means to a desert j or ocean area where the gas can be released (or buried). "g Such a balloon offers several advantagoat i

1) availability

~

2) designed to centain gas without leaking--and usually at some precaure sinen these belloons carry payloads of some weif t to extremely high altitudes
3) immense volume - far mora than would be needed, I stistmet, to empty the buildinr.

Perhcps thir hne. already been suCCested. If not, 1 bore it may be of ce're help. Sincerely, 'l iM-k. Gn.d, t __. Theodore L. Gaillard, Jr. (21h) 350-9152 (home) (214) 363-6311 (work) [cc Director, Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1 Y ?l c .-}}

Retrieved from "https://kanterella.com/w/index.php?title=ML19323B645&oldid=4772920"